Just for You – July

BEFORE MY CHILDREN GRADUATE FROM MY HOME

We have a year-round schedule, so our school year has already started. I know, hard to believe!

My oldest Ethan is in MIDDLE SCHOOL (!) and my girls are in elementary school. James and I have been talking about what we want our children to know before they go to college. As you think about your own family, I invite you to ask yourself three questions:

What life skills does your child need before leaving your home?

What books do they need to read?

Where would you like them to travel?

If you ask better questions in your family, you will get better results. Time moves so quickly. A simple plan for your child’s development can make a world of difference in his or her future success.

I suggest you take different stages like:

Elementary school

Middle school

High school

For each age range, make a list of what life skills your child needs to master, and what books they need to read. As you are financially able, plan trips so your child can see that the world is more rich and diverse than the neighborhood in which you live. These trips don’t have to be international. You may just drive a few hours away.

Here’s a sample of a few things from our list.

Elementary School Life Skills:

Ride a bike

Sew a button

Do laundry, wash dishes, clean the bathroom

Order own food at restaurants

Play the piano

Elementary School Reading:

Charlotte’s Web and Little Women in Spanish (my kids are in a Spanish immersion school)

New Testament

Middle School Life Skills:

Grocery shopping and cooking 5 meals

Giving speeches

Service project like Sonshine Club (our elementary school afterschool club)